Rolling ball games wherein a spherical ball is rolled across a surface and then elevated to project through the air prior to landing on a target have long been popular as epitomized by the famous SKEE games popular in amusement parks, and such games may use a ramp to elevate the ball while moving in the direction originally projected, or a reversing curve may be employed wherein the projected ball is elevated while moving in a direction toward the player. Games of this general type are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 823,049; 1,106,530; 2,067,732 and 2,472,719.
It is an object of the invention to provide a rolling ball game of high quality wherein the game apparatus is in the form of furniture and is suitable as a decorative piece in living quarters.
A further object of the invention is to provide a rolling ball game wherein a spherical ball is rapidly moved across a rolling surface, preferably by a cue, and at its end remote from the player, the rolling surface is in the configuration of a concave reversing curve which elevates the ball and directs the ball movement back toward the player while the ball falls from the reversing curve.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a rolling ball game having a playing member including ball-receiving recesses, the playing member being removably mounted upon the game apparatus frame, alternate playing members having different scoring systems and modes of play being readily substituted for each other.
In the practice of the invention the game includes a frame, preferably of substantial size and weight, and preferably, mounted upon its own legs wherein the frame will be positioned at an elevation convenient to the player's height. The frame is of an elongated configuration having a flat ball-rolling surface defined thereon, and the frame includes lateral sides which vertically extend from the ball-rolling surface confining a ball thereon.
The rolling surface includes a launching end having a tee for positioning a ball which may be struck by a cue to roll the ball toward the ball-reversing end of the rolling surface. The reversing end consists of a concave curve tangential with the planar rolling surface having a terminal end projecting back toward the player and launching end. A ball moving across the rolling surface at sufficient velocity is elevated by the reversing curve and then falls back toward the rolling surface.
A playing member is supported upon the frame above the rolling surface so that balls may roll thereunder, and below the terminal end of the ball-reversing end of the rolling surface, so as to receive balls dropping from the curve. The playing member includes a plurality of ball-receiving recesses which may be marked with various indicia, or be of a particular configuration, to provide the type of game desired. The playing member rests upon support means defined on the frame lateral sides, and may be readily removed and replaced by another playing member having a different playing surface defined thereon. Thus, the nature of the game being played may be very quickly changed, and by using a plurality of playing members a wide variety of games are available when using the basic apparatus.